Sean Whelan is a retired NYPD officer who performed CPR on the girl at the scene, offered to pay for travel expenses

Published Aug 17, 2018 at 7:47 PM

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A retired NYPD officer is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of a little girl who suffered an accident while traveling in an off-road vehicle during a family vacation in Aruba.

The family of 7-year-old Jednniely Perez Rivas had requested help to bring the child to Puerto Rico in an air ambulance following the accident she suffered Wednesday after another vehicle crashed into the off-road vehicle she was traveling in.

Jednniely's aunt, Yaritza Perez, informed Telemundo PR that an American man, identified as Sean Whelan, not only performed CPR on the girl at the scene, but offered to pay $15,000 for the expenses to transport the child to Puerto Rico.

She arrived at a hospital in Puerto Rico on Friday. Whelan accompanied the girl on the air ambulance.

"We are very grateful, both with the man who offered to pay, and with the people who have helped us," Perez said.

Money raised will go to the medical treatment of the little girl, who lost a foot and is in an induced coma.

Luis Rivas, Jednniely’s grandfather, called Whelan an "angel."

“I’m grateful towards him. He’s been a guardian angel to my girl. There are no words to thank him,” he told Telemundo PR.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico, Rafael Rodiguez Mercado, reported that he mobilized specialists of the Pediatric Hospital, which is prepared to receive the girl.

"Everything is ready to receive the girl in the pediatric hospital. The first thing we have to do is stabilize her and as soon as we know what her condition she’ll receive the appropriate treatment," Rodriguez Mercado explained.

"At this moment a bed is ready in intensive care and she’ll be received by the Director of the Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Ricardo Garcia, we’ll have specialists from the Department of Neurosurgery, pediatric orthopedics and pediatric surgery to meet the needs of the girl,” Rodriguez Mercado added.